El subteksto istoriko sovre Esterka Malah de Polonya en la proza istoriko-novelistik Trezoro di Israel de atsair ribi Ya’akov Moshe Hai Altarats

Historical subtext about Esterka Malah of Poland in jistorical-novelistic prose Trezoro di Israel of hatzair rabbi Ya`akov Moshe Hai Altaratz

Esterka Malah (Esterka Małah) was the most beautiful and the most inteligent Jewish maiden in Poland during the XIV century. She lived in Kazimierz (Krakow). Acording to the polish chronicler Jan Dlugosz (Jan Długosz), Esterka was mistress of king Casimir the Great of Poland, and also jewish chronicler David Gans, she was married to the king.

In Trezoro di Israel published 1894 in Belgrade, hatzair rabbi Ya`akov Moshe Hai Altaratz, on the basis those two chroniclers, wrote his own version of the story in judeo-espanyol (ladino) titled Jews of Poland with the second Ester and king Casimir (Los djudyos de Polonya kon la segunda Ester i el rey Kazimir). Altaratz narrated romantic story of Ester and the king, and how she miracously saved polin Jews from annihilation in that time.

The aim of the work is to historicallydetermine the existance of Esterka, in historical reference books; and establish whether Altaratz created the character of Esterka under the influence of the epoch of serbian romanticism and jewish oral tradition.

Key words: judeo-spanish (ladino), Esterka, Poland, king Casimir, Ya`akov Altaratz